


Infection

by nhasablog



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, Gen, Tickling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 10:57:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13809741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nhasablog/pseuds/nhasablog
Summary: Jim gets infected by something that makes him repeat the same phrase over and over, which just so happens to be his biggest desire.





	Infection

“Doctor, we have a problem.”

Bones knew something was incredibly wrong when Uhura appeared in medbay to say those words rather than Jim or even Spock. Setting down something that suddenly didn’t seem important anymore, Bones braced himself for whatever bad news were coming.

“The captain was- well, we  _think_ he must’ve accidentally inhaled something when he beamed down onto the planet, but we’re not sure.”

“Where is he?”

“Hiding outside the room, actually.”

“Hiding?”

Jim’s head appeared, face bright red and refusing to meet Bones’ eyes properly. What the hell?

“Jim? What’s wrong?”

Jim entered the room, but made no indication to speak. Uhura decided to step in after a few seconds of almost awkward silence.

“Whatever got into his system is making him repeat the same phrase over and over. Spock reckons it’s making him admit his deepest desire, at least at the moment, and, well-”

“That’s embarrassing to keep telling everyone in the crew,” Bones finished for her, understanding.

She nodded. “Something like that. Spock said this isn’t the first case where this has happened on that planet, and he told me to tell you to look for case three sixty in the system to find the cure.” Bones didn’t miss the fact that Spock had either decided not to tell Uhura what the cure was, or Uhura was keeping it from Jim. Or maybe she just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

“I’m on it,” Bones said, and Uhura nodded and left. Jim was looking at neither of them.

“So,” Bones said, pointing at a patient bed. “Have a seat.”

Jim did, covering his face with his hands in defeat.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” Bones said, already flicking through the system to find the correct case. “I’m not gonna force you to talk, but-”

“I want to be tickled.”

“Pardon?”

Jim groaned, which was as muffled as his words had been, but Bones had heard him clearly.

“That’s what you keep repeating?” he asked, glad that Jim couldn’t see the amused grin he couldn’t control. “Oh, kid.”

Jim let go of his face momentarily to point a finger at him in warning.

“You have no authority in here. Found the case.”

Jim stilled as Bones read, but Bones could tell he was waiting impatiently for the answer on how to fix this. Bones didn’t think he would like it.

“So-”

“I want to be tickled?”

“Right. It says here I have to crush a plant to a fine powder and mix it with water.”

“I want to be tickled.”

“The thing is I have to pick the plant from the planet you were on, which could take a while.”

“I want to be tickled!”

“So you stay right here while I go get Spock and Sulu or whomever to go get it to cure our beloved captain.”

“I want to be tickled.”

“I know, kid, I know.”

Jim hadn’t moved when he returned an hour later with the bright yellow plant that was almost too pretty to crush. Or if he had moved he’d somehow managed to return to the same position Bones had left him in upon his entrance.

“Still blushing?” Bones asked as he approached his desk, and Jim peeked at him from between his fingers. “It’s all right. Spock told me only a few people at the Bridge heard you before you realized you better shut up.”

Jim groaned, which seemed to be the only noise he was capable of making without spilling his wishes. “I want to be tickled.”

“Oh, I know.”

Bones got to work, placing the plant in a bowl and crushing it the old fashioned way. The last time someone had been cured from this infection the tech had been slightly less advanced, and so he didn’t want to risk it by crushing the thing with a ray of some sorts. He reckoned no one would appreciate it, especially not Jim.

Jim had left his seat this time, hovering behind Bones in a way he probably thought didn’t crowd him. Bones forgave him only because it was an actual predicament he knew Jim wasn’t enjoying.

“Could you get me a glass of water? Make it ice cold.”

Jim nodded eagerly and was off, and Bones had a bowl of yellow powder when he returned.

“I somehow doubt this is gonna be tasty,” he said, dumping the alien plant into the water and mixing it with a spoon. “But it’s gonna be worth it.”

Jim gulped it down in five seconds, grimacing when he placed the glass back on the desk.

Bones raised his hands expectantly. “So?”

“I’m never setting foot on that planet again.”

If this was a movie everyone would cheer, but Bones merely nodded. “Good to know the cure still works.”

“Good thing it was actually in the system. I don’t think I could’ve taken another second of that thing putting words into my mouth.”

“Well, they weren’t just words, were they?”

Jim shook his head. “Oh, no. You don’t get to use this against me, Bones.”

“As if I wasn’t aware of that desire beforehand. Now I’m just certain you need to be tickled, and that soon.”

He didn’t do a thing now, however, as he knew his friend was exhausted from the whole ordeal. Not to mention that this was a sensitive subject to begin with, and to put an already vulnerable Jim Kirk in that situation would be a cruel decision. Bones decided to wait.

So wait he did, not even indicating it until the next evening when they’d shut themselves in Jim’s quarters for a rare calm night. He knew Jim knew he would pounce sooner or later, and if his snarky behavior was anything to go on, he was looking forward to it.

“That’s stupid,” Jim said for the third time, and Bones snapped.

“Okay, that’s it.” Flying from one end of the couch to the other, Bones pinned his friend easily (another indication that Jim didn’t want to fight back). “I’ll show you stupid.”

Jim started giggling the moment Bones started jabbing at his ribs, making his body quake with each collision. Like electric shocks of ticklishness were going through him. Bones loved watching his bodily reactions. They were almost better than his laughter.

Almost.

“I’m dying,” Jim said, though the only thing dying was his voice toward the end of the sentence. “Bones, plea-”

“What was that?”

“Ple-”

“I can’t understand you through all that laughter, kid.”

Bones journeyed from his ribs to his belly, circling the area in the lightest manner and making Jim twist in ticklish agony, but he was going nowhere. Bones had him sufficiently pinned, having trapped his hips between his thighs to hold him in place. There was no escaping his wiggling fingers.

They were both happy for it.

Bones hadn’t realized how long it had been since he’d reduced his friend to an incoherent mess, but after the little scenario the previous day he’d tried to think of when the last time had been and come up short. No wonder this was Jim’s biggest desire right now.

He dived into his worst spots happily, knowingly, and so very unbearably. Jim never thanked him verbally, but Bones could decipher that expression of his once they were done.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my [tumblr](http://nhasablog.tumblr.com).


End file.
